


Something About Late Nights

by EdgyAestheticUsername



Category: Half-Life
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Coming Out, Getting Together, M/M, Mute Gordon Freeman, Oh and Also, it doesn't matter much for this one but that's the place we're at, it's just.... its soft ok, its pure fluff, kind of i guess??, local bicon barney calhoun being charming as ever, that's it no one else, they get a soft moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25454944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdgyAestheticUsername/pseuds/EdgyAestheticUsername
Summary: Gordon takes a few moments to simply think and exist in a peaceful time and place, and Barney decides to join him. What comes out of it is a little bit more than a nice conversation.
Relationships: Barney Calhoun/Gordon Freeman
Comments: 5
Kudos: 175





	Something About Late Nights

**Author's Note:**

> They just...... deserve to rest..... and I am not forgiving Valve for not letting us see Barney again. Please......... please just let them hang out together again.......  
> Gordon is mute and uses ASL, it's specified in [brackets] like so!  
> Rated teen of language, that's about it.

Something about the peaceful night outside set Gordon absolutely on edge. It’s all too quiet, no sounds of war or gunfire or distant alarms. Though, he has to admit… seeing the night sky again is a relief. No dark swirling clouds, no smoke from fires blazing in cities that were once icons… That’s nice. He leans back on his hands, the metal paneling of the roof below them cold to the touch. He doesn’t mind, though. He tilts his head back to look up, then closes them for a long moment and breathes. Alright, maybe the quiet isn’t so bad.

“Hey Doc, I’m comin’ up!” Came the somewhat distant voice of Barney Calhoun, followed by the clang of the ladder as he ascends. “Didn’t wanna spook ya.” He explains when he gets to the roof, settling down next to Gordon. 

[Thank you.] Gordon signs without opening his eyes. 

“Whatcha doing up here? It’s late, ya know.” Barney nudges his shoulder gently. 

[Just… thinking.] Gordon answers, turning to look at Barney finally. 

Barney’s leaning back on his elbows, soft smile on his face. His clothes look comfortable enough, combat boots, dark pants, an old t-shirt with a very, very faded NASA logo on it. He looks tired now more than ever, the moonlight putting deeper shadows under his eyes. And, Gordon notices, it also highlights the lighter streaks in his otherwise dark hair. He admits, Barney aged incredibly well… and that makes him feel incredibly awkward. He looks away, shifting to sit with his legs crossed. 

Barney raises an eyebrow. “Yeah? What about? What’s bouncin’ around up there?”

[Time.] Gordon answers simply, finger-spelling the word. He shifts again, facing Barney. [Time passed, but not for me. It’s hard.]

Barney moves to lay on his side, watching Gordon sign with a slight squint. “Well, shit, yeah. You just… got dragged and dropped into the future twenty years, I’d imagine it’s tough.”

Silence. They look away from each other. Gordon sighs. 

“Kinda nice for you, y’know. Still look young, you’re tough… Y’know some of the girls talk about you a lot.” Barney chuckles. 

Gordon glances at the other man sideways, then shakes his head. [Not my thing. Girls, I mean.]

“Oh… Really?” The former guard sounds surprised, but Gordon can see him smile. “Y’know, that makes sense. You’re a man of science ‘n all that, no time for romance.”

The physicist gives his own soft smile, shaking his head again. [I’d like romance. It’s just not girls I want it with.]

Barney’s expression doesn’t change like he’d expected. “Ya don’t say? Hey, I wouldn’t doubt there’s a couple fellas eyeing you up, too.”

Yet again, Gordon shakes his head. [Not happening.] After a pause, he adds, [You’re not being weird about this.]

Barney snorts. “‘Course not. It’d be unfair for a guy that swings both ways to be weird about it.”

It’s Gordon’s turn to be surprised. And then he laughs. [You’re bisexual?] He asks just to confirm.

“What was that?” Barney didn’t know that sign, he guesses.

[B-i?] Gordon finger-spells at first. [Bisexual?]

Barney blinks, copying the sign. “Huh. Yea, guess so. There’s a sign for that, too, huh?”

Gordon nods. [If I’d known you were bi, I would’ve tried a little harder to get your attention.]

“Oh, come on… You’re just sayin’ that.” Barney lightly pushes his arm with a fist, a sort of playful punch. 

[I’m not! I had a crush on you back at Black Mesa, it took me a while to figure it out, too.] He hopes the dark is enough to hide his blush. [Now I kind of wish I’d asked you out that one Christmas.]

“D’aww, that’s sweet.” He puts his hand to his chest, faking a flattered motion. They both fall quiet again for a few moments before Barney speaks up. “You… still got it?”

Gordon tilts his head. [What?]

“The crush, Doc. Still think I’m worth a shot?” He wiggles his eyebrows with a lop-sided grin.

Gordon laughs again, pushing on Barney’s shoulder a little. He manages to calm himself down, smiling.

“Naw, I get it. I’m old now, you’re still a hotshot.” Barney leans the rest of the way back, folding his arms behind his head.

[What…? No, you’re not that old!] Gordon reassures. [We’re the same age, you’re not old.]

“Well maybe, but I sure look old.” He tries again.

Gordon snorts. [You do not, you look really good, actually. You aged well. Are you just fishing for compliments, Barn?]

“I’m not!” Barney moves to hold his hands out before putting them back behind his head. “I look a lot older than you, Gordon. Time hit me kinda hard, you gotta admit that.”

[I do not.] Gordon insists, looking stern. [You aged, like you should’ve. You’re still good-looking.] He hesitates, hands in the air as the other looks at him expectantly. Then he puts them down, fingers twisting together in his lap.

“Hey Gordy… You don’t have to answer this, but…” Barney takes a deep breath and sighs. “Do you… are you still interested in me… at all? ‘Cause shit, I missed you to Hell and back, you know that, right? For a couple decades, I missed my best buddy. Maybe… realized he could’ve been more than just my best buddy, you know? Wishful thinking, sure, I thought you were dead, but…” Barney trails off, sitting up to run a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair.

Gordon has to swallow the lump in his throat, hard. [Barn, you know how fucked up I am. I can’t do that to you.]

“We’re all a little fucked up, Gordon, so what? Look, I know you’re in rehab, and I know you’ve got a lot of shit going on in your head, but so what? I’m here for you, I’m here to help, and time be damned, that ain’t gonna change. I lost you once, I’m not gonna let you go like that again.” The other responds, a little more forcefully than intended. One of his hands still grips his hair.

[Barney, I don’t want to hurt you, what if I-] He’s suddenly cut off when Barney reaches out, gently taking Gordon’s smaller hands in his own. He moves closer, at first looking down at their fingers, then up into Gordon’s eyes. With this light, the sections of different colors are clear.

“It may not be easy, I don’t expect it to be. But if you want to… Can we try? Like, as an experiment? You don’t have to say yes just ‘cause I’m getting all sappy on you.” His hold on Gordon’s hands loosens further to emphasize that point, giving him the chance to answer back.

Knowing his hands are shaking, Gordon decides that instead of trying to sign back, the best idea is to let himself fall against Barney’s chest. The man is warm, and softer than he expected. He smells faintly of gunpowder and dirt, but mostly just smells like Barney. 

A huge arm wraps around him and holds him closer, a chuckle rumbling in Barney’s chest. “That’s awful sweet, Gordy, but… I’m gonna need a solid yes or no before I do… anything.”

With a small huff, Gordon sits back again. [Y-e-s.] He finger spells to drive the point home. [Please, let’s try?]

At that, Barney grins widely, the hand not holding Gordon’s shirt coming up to rest on his cheek. A rough thumb runs over his cheekbone and the physicist all but melts into it. “We’ll give it a shot. Take it slow, just… see how it goes. I… I know you’re worried, so… we’ll take it easy.”

Gordon nods, his eyes falling closed as he leans into Barney’s hand. His body relaxes some, and Barney shifts to pull him close again. He’s somewhat disappointed at the hand that falls away from his cheek, but doesn’t protest. By the time they settle again, Gordon is leaning into Barney’s shoulder, Barney with an arm firmly around him. The former guard’s head rests against his. “We should go inside soon, y’know…” Barney mumbles. 

[Soon.] Gordon agrees, but for now… For now can be peaceful.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact; The working title for this one was "local bicon seduces time displaced twink more at 11", and that's much more fun imo


End file.
